storytelling - connect emotionally

Storytelling is an ancient art and for a good reason. Storytelling connects people on an emotional level. When we listen to a good story, we can see it in colours, we can imagine the smells, we can feel the texture and relate to the emotions. Our heart sinks with the lows in the story and jumps in joy with the highs. The story touches us on a very personal level.

How do we create a story which captures our audience?

Here is the formula:

1. Have a main character (It can be yourself, if you are telling your own story) 2. The main character should face a conflict/challenge (It can be an external or internal conflict) 3. The main character is going through transformation in the process of overcoming this challenge or finding a resolution for this conflict

When you create your story, make sure you paint the picture for your

audience.

Show them, don’t tell them. Use rich and colourful language. Make sure they can see what the character sees, hear and feel what the character is hearing and feeling.

Next time you need to convey a message, think what story you can tell that drives this message. Craft this story and try it with your audience. The more you practice it, the more naturally it will come to you.

Now that you are becoming an expert on telling stories, you can take it on another level and draw your story. You don’t need to be a Picasso in order to do so. You can draw simple figures (The body can be as simple as a stick figure) with their facial expressions. I know it might sound scary for some, but it is much easier than it sounds.

You can try this tutorial to learn how to draw facial expressions, it is easy to follow - https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/cartoon-fundamentals-create-emotions-from-simple-changes-in-the-face--vector-16278

And you can also attend a Worksop for drawing a story with David Blumenstein and Luke Watson - http://www.experienceillustration.com/experience-illustration-drawing-for-story.html

I attended this workshop and it helped me develop this skill. You can read how I used this skill in this article on the Power of Storytelling - https://www.glitteringminds.com.au/artic

Whatever you decide to try, I would love to hear about your experience.